Special Report: Printers' Outlook: Not Your Father's (or Mother's) Book Manufacturers

Beisser: Have you invested recently in new equipment?

Wurster: We invested $2.5 million in the Océ JS1000 printers and the inline Muller Martini SigmaBinder. That included a major software investment that runs and drives our global POD network. BookMasters is very fortunate because we’re a debt-free and privately held company, so we’re able to move very quickly on growth initiatives. We’re always looking at the long play; we’re not in this space for the short play.

Beisser: What is your five- to 10-year outlook given the growth in e‑book sales and publishers' focus on inventory management and short-run printing? Are you planning changes to reflect current market shifts like these?

Wurster: We react monthly, not annually, to the changing tide in the industry. That’s key to our continued success. I see the business in 5 to 10 years, and it includes BookMasters. We’ll be a long-term player. At the end of the day, BookMasters will be around because of the way we invest in infrastructure, people, and whatever the changing needs of our clients may be over that time period.

Beisser: Is there anything I didn't ask about that you feel is important to address?

Wurster: At the end of the day, the most important thing we’re trying to do is appease the end-user—the book buyer. If we can provide product in the form and the style that the end-user wants, we are going to help make our publishing clients successful.

BB

Peter Beisser is a regular contributor to Book Business. He previously was managing editor of several North American Publishing Co. titles and has written extensively about the publishing industry. Despite his ongoing fascination with new technology, he will fall asleep tonight reading a paperback.